Master Industrie Blog

When architects worldwide dream up seemingly "impossible designs", they need a partner with stand and seating engineering expertise to bring their ideas to reality. Let's go back to 2012, a truly exciting year for us, when so many new venues, with spectacular and innovative seating, were inaugurated.

In our previous post, Incredible Seating Designs for Outstanding Venues, we looked the need to strike the right balance between creating a seating design solution that the client wants, while still ensuring that the design complements the venue's other existing aesthetic elements perfectly.

Increased versatility and improved safety. Remotely controlled telescopic seating can give you that, and more. If you're a venue manager, or you work for an elected councillor in your region in a technical role, you'll be continually seeking to strike what can sometimes seem an impossible balance: "How do I maximise revenue annually, by hosting as many events as possible throughout the calendar year, but without in any way compromising spectator safety?"

As a venue manager, you're keen to switch your current seating to a modern system at your premises, but are perhaps unsure about what the choices are. One option to seriously consider is tiered seating, which offers a whole host of benefits. What's more – whether you opt for standard tiered seating, or a modular design – having tiered seating installed can be achieved quickly and easily, with minimum disruption to your events calendar, and all at a price that makes sense.

Thinking of building or designing a stadium sometime soon?! If so, whatever do, don't put off installing modern, high quality retractable seating (a seating system with retractable or 'telescopic' stands) until the stadium is erected and up-and-running: That could be prove a costly mistake — one that deters sponsors, and one that you could live to regret for many years to come, as some sports clubs are finding out...

When you are installing a new seating system at a sports stadium there are a lot of decisions to make in the interests of guaranteeing a great experience and safe environment for your spectators. One of these is the type of seat to choose; wooden, fabric or plastic are your main options.

Le Channel is a popular arts venue in Calais, Northern France. Established in 1983 as a centre of cultural development, it has evolved over the years, and was granted the title “scène nationale” by the Minister of Culture in 1991.

In 1999 François Delarozière, the artistic director of innovative street theatre company, La Machine, was appointed to design a new concert hall.

Theaters and concert halls put on shows for all-seated audiences, all-standing, or somewhere in between. Perhaps you're an architect specialising in theater and arts venue design. Part of your work will involve researching and recommending materials and equipment to complement an existing design at a theater in need of an overhaul, or for one that's soon to be built.

If you're a builder tasked with constructing a sports arena from scratch (or refurbishing an existing one), you'll probably be under orders to tightly control costs. When it comes to venue seating and stands, don't settle for a mobile bleacher seating system that will be "adequate"; instead, insist upon mobile bleachers that offer increased flexibility at a venue. By changing the seating configurations, venue managers can free up floor space that can be used for all sorts of purposes: an exciting variety of live events.

Choosing the right seating for a sports hall... As a builder tasked with ordering the right materials and overseeing the construction or refurbishment of a venue that thousands of people will use and attend, you need to strike a balance: how to create a fabulous environment whilst simultaneously keeping a tight control of costs? In your job, your priorities will be budgets, timescales, quality and reliability, as well as regulatory compliance.

Make the right decision when choosing and investing in modern seating at your town's or city's stadium, and you could transform the place. If you work in local government, perhaps in a senior technical role, making a seating change at local facilities could prove a masterstroke. You're expected to tightly control costs, to responsibly look after local government funds, with the electorate always being answerable to. Offering them a wider choice of events to enjoy locally needn't cost the earth.

These days, Master Industrie telescopic bleacher seating can be found installed in venues all over the globe. If you've ever enjoyed watching televised basketball games, for example, at a world-class arena (or been lucky enough to actually be there!) chances are that the seating was the very best in contemporary seating system design. Telescopic bleacher seating is incredibly popular with venue managers, simply because of the sheer flexibility it offers.

What is retractable seating? It's a question being asked by venue managers all of the world. They're eager to learn more about it. They've heard that storing away decked seating to a closed position when not in use can be a great option, freeing up floor space, providing better venue flexibility. If you're a venue manager, you'll be keen to maximise use of space at your premises, while at the same time keeping tight control of costs.

What goes into achieving world-class stadium and indoor arena design? What's the recipe, so to speak? Well, superb seating is a must-include on that ingredients list! Opt for attractive and comfortable folding seats as part of a retractable stand, and you'll soon see the benefits. Seats that add to your setting's appeal can be plastic, wooden or upholstered.

Installing plastic seats at a venue can not only bring welcome comfort, but also energy. Changing from traditional wooden seating at your stadium or arena to brightly coloured, almost futuristically designed seating made of super-strong plastic can be transformational. Boosted revenue can result, with a venue's profile rising in tandem. That's the power of plastic!

Some of the questions we are asked on a regular basis are, “what is bleacher seating?” and "what is rectractable bleacher seating?” These are seating descriptions that are commonly used in the USA but less well known in Europe.

They are frequently mentioned in song lyrics, like this one by Taylor Swift:

Q: What use is a fabulous-looking venue seating system, if you don't know how to operate it? A: No use at all! That's why training being included in a seating supplier's service to a venue is an absolute must. The good news is that the best seating manufacturers always provide staff training, and the equally good news is that telescopic seating systems (and other types) are easy to operate, once you know what you're doing and have had a little practice.

Quality products that are also innovatively designed... A distributor of modern seating systems to venue managers needs to deliver both. Having a world-class, flexible seating system in place can help any type of venue to sell more tickets, raise its profile, and host a wider choice of shows. Staying ahead of the game, and getting the 'next big thing' in seating is essential in a city or large town where there are several venues, all competing for customers.

If you are considering purchasing a new seating system for your venue, or if you are a building contractor, a specifier or a distributor investigating seating for a client, there are a lot of questions you need to ask before you can get an accurate quote. Here’s a simple guide to getting your seating quote right first time.

Designing a theater is a difficult and complex architectural project with a large number of requirements and constraints to take into account. You need to understand how it is going to be used, how often it will be used, the type and size of audience and the type of event to be held there. Flexible seating that is easy to move can help maximise the use of the venue.

Installing seats into a venue space can create a whole host of options for centre managers. What's more, manually or automatically controlled multifunctional venue seating can come affordably priced, making it a realistic solution for buyers on a budget. If you're a building contractor tasked with constructing a venue from scratch, or with transforming an existing space into a seated venue – where a vast array of events can be held – you're likely to be under pressure in two ways:

If you're the Operations Manager at a large concert venue used for a broad range of events, the last thing you need is seating that takes an eternity to set up. For audience-type shows, you need a moveable seating configuration that's quick and easy, but with there being no compromise on seat and platform safety and stability. So what are the options? Well, motorised retractable seating (a popular telescopic seating choice across the globe) is an affordable alternative that's difficult to beat. In fact, no other seating system can match the sheer convenience, flexibility, reliability and ease of operation that motorised retractable seating can offer.

How does the latest in seating system design help venues, such as arts centres, theatres, conference halls, and sporting arenas, maximise creativity there? Well, simply put, the more floor space that can be released within a venue, the more event options that provides. Multi-use environments can one day be set up in an audience-type venue layout, only for the place to be virtually unrecognisable the next day, when a crafts fair is held e.g., where the new telescopic seating system has been manually or automatically retracted or moved altogether.

To increase a venue's profitability, you need to attract more bookings, hopefully generating more sponsorship income in turn. One proven way to move towards hosting additional events – a diverse range of shows, rather than one particular type – is to upgrade from a fixed seating set-up to a moveable type. Consider switching to a maximum flexibility venue seating system, such as manually or automatically operated retractable seating (also known as telescopic seating) – easily portable seating designed to help you release valuable floor space whenever you need to. Retractable seating is affordable and can be designed in numerous sizes and forms, to fit different dimensions and configurations at venues perfectly.

A wide range of materials, styles and optional extras can help transform an entertainment venue into something truly special. Venue aisle lighting, a marvellous choice of theatre seats that all not only look great but also optimise spectator comfort, an exciting array of choices that can 'make' a seat or be a brilliant finishing touch... In addition, seats can be installed on platforms in a curved arrangement, facilitating a more intimate experience for the duration of a show. Opting for a curved design can also improve visibility and hearing at a performance, enhancing audience enjoyment.

These days, venue seating basically comes in two different types: retractable and fixed seating choices. From telescopic auditorium seating in buildings that hold cultural events, to fixed plastic seats in packed football stadiums, as well as gymnasium bleachers at indoor venues across the world... the options serve different purposes, and can be provided as a bespoke solution in a new venue or during the refurbishment of an existing one. Seats can come in a range of materials and designs, and you can even get a rotating stand if you want!

Get more from your venue, by installing leading edge retractable seating, bespoke auditorium seating, fold up seats in beautiful fabric. If you manage an auditorium or conference hall, how can you maximise space and venue suitability for a variety of uses and occasions?

One good place to start is to review your current seating and to consider if it's really the right type for your premises, not just now, but in the long-term.